Improvement in army or hunting-knives



F. SCHWATKA.

ARMY 0R HUNTING KNIFE.

Patentec1 Ju1y 3,1877.

FREDERICK SGHWATKA, OF UNITED STATES ARMY.

IMPROVEMENT IN ARMY OR HUNTING-KNIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. April To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK SGHWAT- KA, of Salem, Oregon, (now in the United States Army stationed at Camp Sheridan, Spotted Tail Agency, Nebraska,) have invented certain Improvements in Knife Handles and Scabbards for Army or Hunting Knives, of which the following is a specification: I

The object of .my invention is to take advantage of the large size necessary for the handle of an army or hunting knife, or other similar large knife, to place therein any suitable article used in sharpening knives, as an oil-stone, Whetstone, or any of the forms of metallic Sharpeners, of proper dimensions, which may be readily detached from the handle to be used for sharpening the knife; and also to utilize the scabbard or sheath of the knife as a convenient handle for a fork, spoon, or other similar appurtenances; and to this end my invention consists in a novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

Figure 1 shows the knife-handle, made of any of the usual materials, with the movable portion of the handle A carrying the knifesharpener A partially withdrawn from the fixed handle A.

When the movable part A is placed entirely within the handle A it is firmly secured in its bed by a clasp, a.

A lid or cap-piece may be made hollow and contain oil, (if there be an oil-stone used,) the sides being flexible, and the cap-piece suitably attached to the handle.

Fig. 2 represents the scabbard or knifesheath (J, with a fork, E, and spoon D free to move on a pivot, g, at or near the bottom of the scabbard. 0 represents a hinged cappiece or lid, which, when closed, fits securely over the band 0 and is held by clasp c.

The band (3 has as many grooves a b c as there are tines on the fork E, into which grooves the tines are inserted and the lid 0 closed down upon them, thus securely fastening the fork when not in use.

A similar single notch is made on the other side of the band 0 to receive in like manner the tip of the spoon D.

A smaller spoon may be added on the same side of the scabbard or knife-sheath, being 192,660, dated July 3, 1877; application filed 18, 1877.

retained in position, when not in use, by the larger spoon fitting over it.

When the scabbard or knife-sheath, by its extreme length, so extends the handles of the fork or spoon as to weaken them, or make them unwieldy, a supplementary band, simiilar in construction to the band 0 may be firmly secured at any point upon the scabbard, and a supplementary cap-piece, free to slide on the scabbard and securely fitting the band, will secure the fork and spoon in place in like manner.

The flanges c and f should impinge against the convexity of the point of the scabbard sufficiently to give firmness to the fork or spoon when prolonged in the axis of the scabbard ready for use.

The scabbard or knife-sheath may have a short chain or any ordinary fastening, by which it may be readily attached to, or detached from, the belt, or other suitable means may be used to secure it to theperson.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the handle A, showing the Whetstone or other knife sharpener A embedded therein.

The general construction and operation or method of using my army or hunting knife will be readily understood without more detailed description.

I claim as my invention l. The movable plate A, carrying the oilstone, Whetstone, or other knife-sharpener A and sliding endwise within the handle A, in such manner as to embed and conceal the knife-sharpener, substantially as specified.

2. The scabbard or knife-sheath G, forming, when detached and opened out, a handle for the fork E and the spoon D, pivoted at g near its tip, and constructed with grooves a b c, and hinged cap-piece G for retaining the fork and spoon in place when closed, substantially as described.

3. An improved army or hunting-knife consisting of the dirk-knife B and handle A, Whetstone or knife-sharpener A scabbard or knife-sheath O, fork E, and spoon D, all constructed, arranged, and combined together substantially as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

' FREDERICK SGHWATKA.

Witnesses:

ANSON MILLS, E. A. KOERPER. 

